Placer machinery



w. R. wlLcox. PLACER MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. i. 1922.

1,429,005, Patenasept. 12,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET i.

W. R. WILCOX.

PLACER MACHINERY.

APPLICATION man APR.1,1922.

1,429,005o .Patentedsept l2, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

JM @MW/Q5.

W. R. WILCOX.

PLACER MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II |922.

` PatentedSept. 12, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fatented Sept. 12 W22.

UN'TED STATES WILLIAM RILEY WILCOX, 0F MAPNHATT'A, NEVADA.

PLACER MACHINERY.

Application xle. April 1, 1922. Serial No. 548,616.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM RILEY W11.-y

cox, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Manhattan, in the county of Nye and State of Nevada, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Placer Machinery', of which the following 1s a speelfication. j

This invention relates to placer machinery equally adapted to work dry or wet placers. The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character wherein the clots of dirt and of gravel are pulverized and are subjected to a scrubbing action whereby the old and other placer products are separated rom the gangue or other refuse or earthy matter, thus allowing the placer product to be readily caught in the riilles while ermit-v ting the refuse or gangue to pass o v Another object is to provide a machine of this character operating in conjunction with a riliie and having means for agitating the riiiie to insure and enhance the laction thereof.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is simple and durable in construction, reliable and eicient in operation and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Otherobjeots and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 isa view in side elevation, illustrating the preferred embodiment vof the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view-thereof;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation, looking toward the discharge end of the machine; y

Figure 4 is a'view in 'end' elevation looking toward the feed'or inlet end of the machine; I

Figure 5 is a detail view in section of a rotatable drum; and organized apparatus, parts being shown in elevation for the sake f of illustration; and

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the traveler and chain pulverizer and scrubber. v

Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration 1s shown thepreor inlet end of the drum an annular ferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 104 designates a supporting frame or base upon which bearingl brackets 12 are secured. Grooved rollers 13 are rotatably mounted in the bearing brackets and are preferably provided in pairs, the members of the palrs being arranged on the opposite sides of the supporting fname or base, as shown in the drawings.

A rotatable drum 15 is supported for rotation upon the rollers 13 lby means of track rings 16 secured to the outer periphery of the drum and operating in the grooves of the rollers 13.

Means is provided for rotating the drum 15 and may comprise a driven rmg gear or sprocket 17 fixed to the outer periphery of the drum 15 between the track rings 16 and actuated from a hand crank 18 by means.

of a sprocket gear 19 and sprocket chain 20, the sprocket 19 being fixed to the axis or shaft ofthe hand crank 18 and this axis or shaft belng rotatably journaled in the upper end of standards 21 which upstand from one side of the Ybase for this purpose.

f A spiral rib 25 is fixed to the inner periphery ofthe drum 15, as clearly shown in F lgure 5, and this spiral rib functions to effect a feedvof the material being treated through the drum and also, in conjunction with the'pulverizer to be hereinafter. described to scrub the material.

n plate 26 1s arranged and 1s secured to the lnner wall of the drum by means of a flange 27 which is welded, rlveted or otherwise secured to the drum. The plate 26 precludes Atl the feed serves as a track upon which a traveler,

designated generally at 28, is mounted. This traveler preferably comprises a pair of spaced vand curved plates 29 embracing the `annular plate 26 and secured to each other and loosely supported upon the annular plate b means of a pair of yU-shaped -straps 30 having their arms riveted or otherwise suitably fastened to the plates 29. If desired ball bearings or other anti-friction means may be provided between the traveler and the ring 26 such ball bearings may be suitably mounted either upon the straps 30 or plates 29 or upon both. A pulverizer and scrubber, designated generally at 35 is arranged within the drum 15 and coacts with lthe spiral rib 25 thereof, and this pulverizer 30 l feed hopper is supported so as to yieldabl 37 and 38. .39.and 40, respectivel whlch are engaged with a link 41 of `the c ain l37 to connect the chains 36 and 38 with the chain 37. A link 42 of the chain 37 is engaged with an eye 43 having swivelled connectlon with t e adjacent plate 29 of the traveler. By securing the pluverizer and scrubber to the traveler by means of the swivelled connection it is permitted to roll over and over 1n such manner as may be necessary to carry out the pulverizing and scrubbing operatlon in con'juction with the spiral rub `25 of the drum and then at thc same time v1li-1s constrained to operate in its proper eld bymeans of the traveler whichremainsin the position shown in Figure 4 or 1n substantially such position irres ective of the4 rotation of the drum 15. e material is fed tothe drum from a feed hopper 45 which is agitated from a cam ring 46 integrally formed with or secured to a rotating drum and coacting with an arm 41 connected with the feed hopper, it being understood that the maintain the arm 47 in engagement wit the cam 46. The cam serves to perlodlcally urge the-hopper away from the drum and avity serves to return the hopper toward t e drum, the resultant agitation o r movelment effecting .the feed ofthe material.

A rillie, designated generally at 50 is provided which may beof an'y'standard or conventional construction. he4 riliie is supported u on a pair of posts 51 upstandmg from a rame 52 connected with or a of the base 10. The posts 51 are provided with a series of inclined notches 53 1n which the lateral arms 54 of pivoted lhangers 59 are adapted to be selectively received, the notches 53 thus affordin a vertical adjustment. The lower ends 0% pivotally connected to the rilile, as at 56, and this pivotal connection is preferably arranged to one side of the post as shown in Figure 1, thus inclinin the han ers 55 and supporting the riflie so t at it ten s to swing, under the action of gravity in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in An arm 58 is secured to the lriiie box at the end thereof adjacent to the rotatabe drum and the upper end of the arm is angularly offset or hooked, as at 59. The end of the rotatable drum adjacent the riliie 50 carries a -cam ring 60 which coo erates with the arm 58 to shake or agitate t e rifflebox back and forth, the teeth or inclined portions ofthe cam ring serving to urge the riiile box away from the rotatabe drum and gravity serving art the hangers 55 are Flgure 1.

to return the riflie box, the action of gravit being positive and e'ective' to accomplis this purpose by reasonof the' mounting of the box in the manner described. The r0- clined portions or teeth of the-ring 62 coact with t e singularly extendin portion or hook 59 of t e arm 58 to roc or oscillate the rifile box 50 about its pivotal connection 56. The rings 60 and 62 thus coact withv the arm 58 and hook 59 thereof to utilize the motion of the rotating drurnto'thoroughly and effectively agitate the riflle box.

The discharge end of the rotating drum,

thatis the end adjacent the riliie 50,`has an' annular plate 65 set therein immediately withinthe ring 62,the annular plate 65 being secured to the drum after the manner in which the plate 26 is isecured therein. The inner edge of the annular plate 62 has 4integrally formed therewith or otherwise connected thereto'. a discharge funnel 66 which overlies the rile box and delivers the materials from the lrotating 4drum to the riiie box. A discharge scoop 67 coacts with the funnel 66. The scoop 67 'is secured toA the drum and rotates therewith and in shape and action isv similar to the mold board of a plow, serving to raise the dirt and carry it to the right'suiiciently far to'discharge it from the drum. The scoop serves not only to discharge the material from the drum in an even *and uniform manner but 'also to measure the amount discharged since it has 'be effected from the'motor if this is desire The material to be handled is .then fed into the drum through the feed hopper-45. In the drum the chains of the pulverizer and scrubber act upo'n the 'dirt and in conj unction with the spiral vrib 25v of the drum serve to separate thev gold or other -placer v product from the gangue and refuse matter,

thus freeing the placer `material. so that it may befreadily lcaught on the riliies of the riflie box and ,so that the refuse lor gangue may pass of. When water is used the chain acts asa mlxer or puddler to .reduce .the

.water and dirt to a thin mud or pulp, allow- 1 ing the gold and lacer product to be easily caught in the ri es of the riflle box. The chains of the pulverizer in carrying out their functions are free to roll over and over as the drum rotates, thisfreedom vbeing had by virtue of theswivelled connec tion of the chains with the travelrl`-At the same time the chains are constrained to rotate in the bottom of the drum since the 'traveler remains in the same or substantially .drum is received in the rile box and the riilie box is agitated by the rotation of the drum so that it Will eicientl operate to catch the gold or placer pro uct.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a rotating drum, a spiral rib secured to the inner periphery of said drum and a combined pulverizer and scrubber operating in said drum and comprising a plurality of chains having interconnected links, a plate secured to said drum and constituting a track, and a traveler mounted on said track and having. swivelled connection with one of the chains of said pulverizer and scrubber.

2. In a machine of the character described, a rotatable drum having a track at one end, a traveler operating on said track, a plurality of chains arranged in the drum and a swivelled connection between the chains and the traveler.

3. In a machine of the character described, a rotatable drum having an annular plate adjacent one end and constituting a track, a traveler operating. on said track and including spaced and curved plates arranged on the opposite side of said annular plate, straps spanning said annular plate and secured to said curved plates, a plurality of chains arranged in said drum and having interconnected links and a swivelled connection .between said chains and said traveler.

4. In a machine of the character described, a rotating drum having a spiral rib secured to its inner periphery, and a combined pulverizer and scrubber comprising a plurality of chains having interconnected links and coacting With the spiral rib.

5. In combination, a rotating drum having a ring comprising a plurality of inclined teeth and a second cam ring also comprisin a plurality of inclined teeth, the incline teeth of the second cam teeth being arranged at right angles with respect to the cam teeth `of the first cam ring, a rifile supported for swinging and pivotal motion and an arm carried by the rifile cooperable with the teeth of one of said cam rings, the arm having a hook cooperable with the teeth of the other of said cam rings.

6. In a machine of the character described, a rotatable drum, a spiral rib secured to the inner periphery of the drum, a combined pulverizer and scrubber operating in the drum and comprising a plurality oil chains having interconnected links and coacting with the spiral rib ofthe drum, and a traveler mounted upon the drum and having connection with the combined pulverizer andscrubber.

WILLIAM RILEY WILCOX. 

